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Research Article | Open Access

High-performance (K,Na)NbO3-based multilayer piezoelectric ceramic actuators with nickel inner electrodes

Yu Huana(), Limin Houa, Tao Weia, Fenghua Jianga(), Ting Wangb, Longtu Lic, Xiaohui Wangc
School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
Guangdong Key Laboratory of Electronic Functional Materials and Devices, Huizhou University, Huizhou 516007, China
State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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Abstract

Multilayer ceramic actuator (MLCA) has been widely employed in actuators due to the large cumulative displacement under the low driving voltage. In this work, the MLCA devices consisting of a lead-free MnCO3- and CuO-doped 0.96(K0.48Na0.52)(Nb0.96Ta0.04)O3–0.04CaZrO3 piezoelectric ceramics and a base nickel (Ni) metal inner electrode were well co-fired by the two-step sintering process in a reducing atmosphere. The ceramic layer/electrode interface is well-integrated and clearly continuous without distinct interdiffusion and chemical reaction, which is beneficial to the electrical reliability of the MLCA. As a result, the MLCA laminated with nine active ceramic layers obtains an ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 3157 pC/N, about 9 times than bulk ceramics. The 0.5 mm-thick MLCA composed of a series of ~50 μm-thick ceramic layers and ~3 μm-thick Ni electrodes reaches a high 1.8 μm displacement under the low applied voltage of 200 V (the same displacement requires a voltage as high as 3700 V for ~1 mm-thick bulk ceramics). The excellent electrical performance and low-cost base electrode reveal that the (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN)-based MLCAs are promising lead-free candidate for actuator application.

Keywords

multilayer ceramic actuator (MLCA)lead-free piezoelectric ceramicsbase nickel (Ni) inner electrodetwo-step sintering processceramic layer/electrode interface

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Journal of Advanced Ceramics
Volume 12 Issue 6,
June 2023
Pages 1228-1237
DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2023.9220752
Cite this article:
Huan Y, Hou L, Wei T, et al. High-performance (K,Na)NbO3-based multilayer piezoelectric ceramic actuators with nickel inner electrodes. Journal of Advanced Ceramics, 2023, 12(6): 1228-1237. https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2023.9220752
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10.26599/JAC.2023.9220752.T001Electrical properties of bulk ceramics and MLCA

Sampled33 (pC/N)Dielectric constant (ε33) at 1 kHzQUOTE d33*tanδ at 1 kHzResistivity (GΩ·cm)Relative density (%)
Bulk ceramics37520870.02522.696.5
MLCA315718950.03219.896.1

10.26599/JAC.2023.9220752.T002a, b, and c and refinement parameters of bulk ceramics and MLCA obtained from the XRD Rietveld refinement

SampleSpace groupa (Å)b (Å)c (Å)Phase fractionα (o)Rwp (%)
Bulk ceramicsP4mm3.96813.96813.973945.3908.38
Amm23.97905.59655.585454.790
MLCAP4mm3.96763.96763.982349.8907.50
Amm23.98905.63595.621450.290

10.26599/JAC.2023.9220752.T003Comparison of electrical performance of MLCA in this work with other reported lead-free KNN-based MLCAs

MaterialInner electrodeLayer thickness (μm)Number of layerSmax/Emax (pm/V)Total displacement (μm)Applied voltage (V)Sintering atmosphereRef.
CuO-doped 0.97(Li0.04Na0.46K0.5)(Nb0.89Sb0.11)O3–0.03CaZrO3Ag/Pd1005400225Air[33]
Li/Ta co-doped KNNAg/Pd96122252.5400Air[34]
0.95(Na0.5K0.5)NbO3–0.05LiTaO3Ag/Pd10010—1.05150Air[35]
CuO-doped (Na0.2K0.8)NbO3–BaZrO3Ag/Pd10052701.35150Air[6]
CuO-doped (Na0.525K0.4425Li0.0375)(Nb0.8975Sb0.065Ta0.0375)O3Ag/Pd10012———Air[36]
CuO-doped KNNAg/Pd50201141.1—Air[7]
0.96(K0.48Na0.52)(Nb0.95Sb0.05)O3–0.04Bi0.5(Na0.82K0.18)0.5ZrO3Pt102162874.5170Air[37]
Li0.06Na0.52K0.42NbO3Pd50103501.7400Air[38]
0.98(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3–0.02CaZrO3–0.03ZrO2Ni5033600.5150Reducing[18]
0.95(Na0.5K0.5)NbO3–0.05LiFNi8032100.5200Reducing[19]
Li/Ta co-doped KNNCu8032500.6640Reducing[20]
0.96(K0.48Na0.52)(Nb0.96Ta0.04)O3–0.04CaZrO3–0.2 mol% MnCO3–1 mol% CuONi5094501.8200ReducingThis work